Gordie Howe, 'Mr. Hockey,' dies at 88 (w/ video)

Gordie Howe worked all his life to earn the respect and awe that came with being "Mr. Hockey."

The Canadian farm boy who developed his brute strength and impressive stamina on the Saskatchewan prairie could put his team ahead with a timely goal or even the score with opponents by throwing his elbows and fists. Away from the rink, he worked just as hard to become one of the most likable superstars in any sport.

His boundless blend of talent and toughness made him the NHL's quintessential star during a storied career that lasted into his 50s. He died Friday at 88 after a career that included four Stanley Cup championships and respect across the league.

He died "peacefully … with his family by his side," a statement from the family said. His son Murray said his father died simply of "old age."

The Red Wings, Mr. Howe's longtime team, said he died in Sylvania, Ohio, at Murray's home.

Mr. Howe shattered records, dropped gloves and threw elbows while helping the Red Wings win those four championships. He became an idol for many and is credited with helping the sport attract American fans in a development key to the league's growth.

His ability to skate, shoot and pass made him a threat every time he had the puck. No one could match Mr. Howe's style of play, Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman said. "I call him the best player of all time,'' Bowman told Canada's TSN TV network.

Among the NHL records the Hall of Fame forward set in his 26-year career were 801 goals and 1,850 points — mostly with the Red Wings — both of which held up until Wayne Gretzky came along.

"I got to meet him when I was 10 years old," said Gretzky, 55, who had 894 goals and 2,857 points. "And when you're 10 years old, a lot of times you meet your idol and they're not as nice or as big as you think. … I was lucky that I picked the right person to look up to."

He began playing for the Red Wings in 1946 at age 18, leading them to seven straight first-place finishes in the regular season. He was a part of what was known as the "Production Line" with future Hall of Famers Ted Lindsay and Sid Abel during his 25-year run with the franchise.

"No one in their right mind ever wanted to tangle with him," Lindsay has said. "Gordie had a lethal pair of elbows, was strong as a moose and knew every angle."

Mr. Howe was so talented and tough that a "Gordie Howe hat trick" became synonymous with the combination of having a goal, an assist and a fight in one game, though no one is certain how his name got attached to the feat. His first such hat trick came Oct. 11, 1953, when he scored, assisted on Red Kelly's tally and fought the Maple Leafs' Fernie Flaman, all in the first period. He had only two more.

Even after he moved on from the Red Wings — into retirement in 1971 at 43, a return to hockey in the WHA in 1973 at 45 to live his dream of playing professionally with sons Mark and Marty, and one last NHL season in 1979-80 when his WHA Whalers joined the league in a merger — he stayed close to Detroit.

Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman, a former Red Wings captain who played his entire 22-year NHL career in Detroit and later worked in its front office, said "it was an honor to wear the same uniform, spend time with, laugh, joke and seek advice" from Mr. Howe.

"Gordie's humility and kindness left a permanent impression on me, greatly influencing how I tried to conduct myself throughout my career," Yzerman said in a statement.

When Mr. Howe retired for good in 1981, he was 52 and had been the oldest player to play in an NHL game, at 52 years, 10 days. With a single shift with Detroit in the International Hockey League in 1997, he played professionally in a sixth decade at age 69.

Mr. Howe had a stroke in October 2014, losing some function on the right side of his body. He suffered another stroke a short time later, and family members said chronic back pain, advanced stages of dementia and high blood pressure were taking a toll. In December 2014, Mr. Howe participated in a stem-cell clinical trial in Mexico, which the family credited with helping him walk and do some of things he enjoyed, including making people laugh. The year before starting stem cell therapy, Mr. Howe had told his family he wanted to die.

He was most proud of his family. He raved about his wife, Colleen, whom he married in 1953 and with whom he had three sons and daughter Cathy. They became personal and professional partners promoting Gordie and hockey. She died in March 2009.

When asked about his legacy by the Associated Press in 2011, Mr. Howe said he was most proud of playing with his sons for five years.

GLENDALE, Ariz — Nikita Kucherov’s toughest challenge isn’t facing Canadiens goalie Carey Price, or Columbus’ Sergei Bobrovsky.It comes in practice against Andrei Vasilevskiy. "I’ve been saying, I thought he was going to be the top goalie in the leag...

ST. LOUIS — Tyler Johnson hasn’t played very much wing in his career, primarily sticking to his natural center position. But lately, Johnson has been stellar on the right side.Johnson’s assist in Tuesday’s win over the Blues extended his point streak...

ST. LOUIS — This showdown was supposed to be about the best team in the East versus the best in the West. In reality, the Lightning’s 3-0 win over the Blues on Tuesday night pretty much came down to this:Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the best goalies ...

Andrei Vasilevskiy might have made the save of the year. With the Lightning leading by one midway through the second, an Alex Steen dump-in took a wild carom off the boards. Vasilevskiiy somehow sprawled out for a right-toe save. Then, on his back, V...

The Lightning's west coast trip will start with a bang tonight in St. Louis.Tonight's game will pit the top two teams in the NHL, with Tampa Bay (21-6-2) atop the Eastern Conference, the Blues (21-8-2) the No. 1 team in the West.Fittingly, an NBCSN-a...

BRANDON — The best team in town had just wrapped up practice. The Lightning had a plane to catch, to St. Louis, where Tuesday in St. Louis begins a four-city road trip that ends at expansion Las Vegas, exclusive engagement, one show a night, unless y...

TAMPA — You don’t often see a coach making shadow puppets on the wall with his hands at the start of his postgame news conference, but that’s where the Lightning is these days after sweeping a four-game home stand with Saturday night’s 4-3 overtime v...

TAMPA — His coach says he plays every game as if he doesn’t play his best, he’s going to be sent down. That is not the case with Brayden Point, but who doesn’t want that kind of effort from a second-year player who has more than established himself i...

TAMPA — The Jets saw Saturday’s game against the Lightning as a benchmark game, a way to measure themselves against the NHL’s top team. The Lightning had circled the game, the last of a four-game home stand."It’s going to be a big test for us," Light...

TAMPA — How about that Lightning power play."Coaching," coach Jon Cooper said before Saturday’s game with the Jets.He was kidding."You always look like a good coach when you can throw (Nikita) Kucherov and (Steven) Stamkos and (Victor) Hedman over th...